Impatiens plant named ‘Balfusinred’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Impatiens  plant named ‘Balfusinred’, characterized by its single, cupped flowers, medium green-colored foliage, upright and mounded habit, and excellent basal branching.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Impatienswalleriana×auricoma.

Variety denomination: ‘Balfusinred’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Impatiens plantbotanically known as Impatiens walleriana×auricoma and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Balfusinred’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventors in a controlled breedingprogram during March 1999 at Elburn, Ill. The objective of the breedingprogram was to develop Impatiens cultivars with numerous flowers, newand unique flower shape and colors, excellent basal branching andupright compact to moderate growth habit.

The female (seed) parent of ‘Balfusinred’ was the proprietary Impatienswalleriana selection designated ‘12660’ (not patented) characterized byits upright growth habit, white-colored flowers, and mediumgreen-colored foliage. The male (pollen) parent of ‘Balfusinred’ was theproprietary Impatiens auricoma selection designated ‘10449-1-2’ (notpatented) characterized by its upright growth habit, yellow-coloredflowers, and dark green-colored foliage. ‘Balfusinred’ was discoveredand selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the abovestated cross in February of 2000 at Elburn, Ill. and initiallydesignated PAS ‘1-08’.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by shoot tip or stem cuttingstaken since February 2000 at Elburn, Ill. and West Chicago, Ill. hasdemonstrated that the new cultivar reproduce true to type with all thecharacteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance ingenotype.

It was repeatedly found that the cultivar of the present invention:

1. Exhibits single, slightly cupped, flowers,

2. Forms medium green-colored foliage,

3. Exhibits an upright and mounded growth habit, and

4. Exhibits a good basal branching character.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in flower color, flower shape and leaf shape and from plantsof the male parent primarily in flower color, flower shape, leaf sizeand branching habit. Plants of the new cultivar can be compared to‘Balfusheat’ disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.10/741,696. ‘Balfusheat’ and ‘Balfusinred’ were derived from crossingthe same two cultivars, however, they exhibit very different flowercolors.

Plants of the new cultivar can be compared to plants of ‘96-009-4’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 10,973). In a side-by-side comparison conducted in WestChicago, Ill., plants of the new cultivar differed from plants of‘96-009-4’ primarily in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new cultivar have a more compact growth habit thanplants of ‘96-009-4’, and

2. Plants of the new cultivar have larger flowers than plants of‘96-009-4’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describe the colors of ‘Balfusinred’. Theplants were grown for 13 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Balfusinred’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single flower of ‘Balfusinred’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,1995 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined on Sep. 3, 2003 between 9:00and 10:45 a.m. under natural light conditions.

The following measurements and comparisons describe plants produced fromshoot tip or stem (with two nodes) cuttings taken from stock plants andgrown under greenhouse conditions comparable to those used in commercialpractice in West Chicago, Ill. The plants were grown in 10 cm pots for15 weeks utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatureswere maintained at approximately 72° F. during the day and approximately65° F. during the night. Greenhouse light levels were maintained atapproximately 4,000-6,000 footcandles during the day.

Botanical classification: Impatiens walleriana×auricoma cultivar‘Balfusinred’.

Parentage:

Female (seed) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selectiondesignated ‘12660’ (not patented).

Male (pollen) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens auricoma selectiondesignated ‘10449-1-2’ (not patented).

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Shoot tip or stem (with two nodes).

Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7-14 days.

Time to develop a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 days.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Habit of growth.—Moderately vigorous with good basal branching. A matureplant, 15 weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting, commonlymeasures approximately 23.7 cm in height and approximately 38.5 cm inwidth.

Plant form.—Upright and mounded.

Lateral branches.—Quantity: Approximately 4. Length: Approximately 17.1cm. Diameter: Approximately 8 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 145A withfaint overlay of 45A. Internode length: Approximately 3.3 cm.

Foliage.—Type: Simple. Arrangement of lower leaves: Alternate.Arrangement of upper leaves: Whorls. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:Acuminate/cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Crenate with ciliation.Texture of upper and lower surface: Glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate,arcuate. Size of mature foliage: Length: Approximately 7.2 cm. Width:Approximately 3.9 cm. Color of mature foliage: Upper surface is 137Awith veins and mid-vein of 145A. Lower surface is 138B with veins andmid-vein of 145A. Petiole: Diameter: Approximately 2 mm. Length:Approximately 2.7 cm with 2 mm stipules along edges. Texture: Upper andlower surface: Glabrous. Color: Upper and lower surface: 145A withoverlay of 46A.

Flower description:

Flower type.—Single, not fragrant with self-cleaning petals.

Flowering habit.—Freely flowering with flowers positioned above thefoliage and facing outward.

Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse environment.Flowering is continuous from spring until fall in the garden.

Flower longevity on plant.—Approximately 5 days.

Quantity of flowers.—Approximately 8 flowers and 7 buds per stem at anyone time.

Mature flower buds (just before opening).—Shape: Ovate. Length:Approximately 1.2 cm. Diameter: Approximately 9 mm. Texture: Glabrous.Color: 38B.

Flower shape.—Oval, cupped when first open becoming more flat with age.

Flower size.—Length: Approximately 3.1 cm. Width: Approximately 2.5 cm.Depth: Approximately 1.3 cm.

Petals.—Number: Five per flower. Texture: Glabrous. Appearance:Iridescent.

Superior petal.—Length: Approximately 1.2 cm. Width: Approximately 1.2cm. Shape: Cucullate. Margin: Entire. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Truncate.Color of upper surface: 55B with overlay of 37A. Color of lower surface:39C.

Lateral petals.—Length: 1.3 cm. Width: 1.1 cm. Shape: Obovate. Margin:Entire. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Color of upper surface: Margin atlower edge is 55A, rest of margin is 37A. There is central spot of 33Cand base of N155B. Color of lower surface: 29B.

Lower petals.—Length: 1.8 cm. Width: 1.1 cm. Shape: Obovate. Margin:Entire. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Color of upper surface: 55A withcenter of petal having a small area of N30B. Color of lower surface:Background of 6D with marginal overlay of 55A and central spot of 33B.

Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Angle to stem: Acute. Length: Approximately2.1 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144C.

Calyx.—Consists of 3 sepals. Lateral sepals: Length: Approximately 9 mm.Width: Approximately 6 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color of both surfaces:154D with apex of 144B. Lower sepal: Length: Approximately 1.3 cm.Width: Approximately 1 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color of both surfaces:16C with apex of 1447B. Base of lower sepal is modified to form spur.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Double tipped. Length: Approximately 1.3cm. Diameter at flower: Approximately 2 mm. Diameter of tips:Approximately 1 mm. Aspect: Moderately curved downward. Color: 150D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Five stamens, anthers are fusedtogether forming one organ that surrounds the pistil. Filament color:8B. Anther shape: Hooded. Anther length: Approximately 2 mm. Anthercolor: N78D. Pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Pistil number: One perflower. Pistil length: 6 mm. Stigma shape: Five pointed star. Stigmalength: 0.5 mm. Stigma color: Colorless, translucent. Style length: 1.5.Style color: Colorless, translucent. Ovary length: 4 mm. Ovary diameter:2 mm. Ovary texture: Glabrous. Ovary color: N144C.

Seed and fruit development: Neither seed nor fruit production has beenobserved.

Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toImpatiens has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plantnamed ‘Balfusinred’ substantially, as herein shown and described,which:
 1. Exhibits single, cupped, flowers,
 2. Forms mediumgreen-colored foliage,
 3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and4. Exhibits an upright and mounded growth habit.